Picked up a new boat today!

[pete]

bro,that tank is 30 years old,get it out,clean it up and get it checked out,replace if if needed.A fuel tank is nothing to play around with.

[gran398]

I'm with pete. All of that funk you saw on the top is the tip of the iceberg. You are not alone however; the way all aluminum tanks were installed in those days, nothing more can be expected thirty plus years later.

There is a reason the PO didn't run that tank. A new one runs around $9/gallon. This is the first and best new investment you should make.

There are a ton of pics and threads on here regarding tank replacement. You will find that when you pull it the major damage/areas of concern will be on the bottom seams where it most likely is sitting in water.

Safety first

Now if this thunderstorm will cease I'll try and get back to sleep

Best, and enjoy your new ride!

[GoneFission]

Agree with above - pull the tank and check out the bottom carefully - especially where it was in contact with the pads.  Lots of these tanks corrode through there.   :evil:   I would guess/bet you will find some problems, but you never know!  

You can get a new custom tank for about $8 per gallon or see if you can find a stock plastic tank that will fit.  Most folks wind up with a replacement metal tank that matches the original when they consider all the options...  

[wingtime]

Your gonna need a new tank.  If you do try to clean and run that one.  Do NOT put ethanol fuel in that thing.  The ethanol is a strong solvent and it will lift off all the 30 years of varnish that is in that tank and send it right into that purdy new motor.  If that tank is not leaking I'll be money the problem the PO had stemmed from ethanol fuel.

[alandry100]

Ok ok - so I think the consensus is that it's a bad idea to mess with the in-hull tank with a new engine so I won't. I plan to empty it and change it out in the winter. I know that is not ideal but I coach tennis in the spring and I know I will not have enough time to finish it before Mothers Day (when the striped ones show up) - so I am going to use an a 12 gal topside tank, but I am going to build a removable mahogany (because I have some)  platform on top (4 legs and a spaced deck) to corral the tank. The question I have is the mounting. In order to be sure to not allow any water intrusion into the deck, is the protocol to:

-drill a larger hole
-fill with some sort of epoxy (recommendations welcome)
-through bolt the epoxy

[gran398]

Gotcha.

The easiest would be to make 4 mahogany L shape chocks, one per each corner. Bed the chocks with silicone and screw 'em down. If they are a couple inches tall the tank will be fine. If you want insurance, throw a bungee or two in the mix.

The silicone bottom seal will prevent water intrusion.

[alandry100]

I was thinking 4 legs with some sort of ratchet tie down - anyone tried this?